Safety razor blade sharpener



Aug. 20, 1935. E 2,011,680

SAFETY RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER I Filed Sept. 12, 1933 l [E n l m FIGA. Fl .5.

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Patented Aug. 20, 1935 genres e'ai E i r or ies 2,011,680 SAFETY Razors BLADE snanrsnna John Gell. London, England Application September 12, l933,-Serial No. 689,133 In Great Britain September 16, 1932 3Claiins. ei. 51-424) This invention relates to a. safetyrazor blade sharpener, and consists of a container which acts as an assembly and bearing surfacefor the moving members. The main drive consists of a cranked handle fixed to the main drive shaft at the upper end of the container. Upon this shaft is positioned a blade holder free to rotate and move endways upon. the shaft. On the end of this shaft remote from the handle and is fixed a cam of circular form with a wedge shaped face towards the blade holder. On the razor'blade holder is fixed a small wheel to operate in. connection. with the cam. At the end of the razor bottom of the containenand ina direct line parallel to the main drive shaft. Fixed to the endlof the abrasive cylinder at the handle end i is a pinion wheel. On the same inside end of the container is pivoted an intermediate gear so that when the handle is turned not only the main shaft is rotated, but also the cylinder, in

a direction specially suited to act as a sharpening member.

My invention will be more clearly understood from the following description aided by the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents an elevation with the side of the container removed.

Figure 2 represents the cover of the container.

Figure 3 represents an end elevation with the end of the container removed.

Figure 4 represents the blade holder for use with single edged safety razor blades.

Figure 5 represents the end view of the blade holder, Fig. 4.

Figure 6 represents an alternative blade holder for use with double edged safety razor blades.

Figure '7 represents the end view of the blade holder, Fig. 6.

' The same letters apply to the same part in the respective figures of the drawing.

In Fig. 1, a represents the main drive shaft connected to crank handle I). c is the blade holder free to rotate and travel along shaft a.

end of which is positioned in a recess i in theblade holder 0, and the other end of the spring h presses against the gear. wheel 9' fixed to the main shaft a. by pin is. l is the movable part of the blade holder held in position by screw mand spring clamp it. o is the abrasive cylinder fixed to the shaft p, and with gear wheel q fixed to the cylinder 0. mediate gear wheel.

When it is required to sharpen a single cutting edged bladathe bladed is inserted into the blade holder. 0 between the rigid projection 0, shown in Fig. 5, and the spring held clamp Z. This applies to blades which have a slot to clear the screw m, but .in the case of blades which have a central hole clamp s isremove-d, the blade placed in position, and then the clamp replaced. Upon turning the handle b to the right the pressure of springh causes the blade holder 0 to turn with the shaft a until one face of the cutting edge of the bladerests against the face of the abrasive cylinder 0. As the handle I) is further rotated the following action takes place. The razor blade edge is pressed in contact with the face of the cylinder 0 and oscillated endways to and fro by the action of the cam wheel 9 moving in contact withcam e under the influence of spring 71.. Upon reversing the direction of rotation of the handle b the cutting edge of the blade is carried over to the opposite side of the abrasive cylinder 0. By continuing the rotation of the handle I) the other cutting edge of the razor blade is sharpened.

' By alternately varying the rotation of the handle 19 the razor blade is correctly sharpened by the double action of the abrasive cylinder 0 and the to and fro reciprocal movement controlled by the cam. When it is desired to sharpen a double edged safety razor blade, the holder Fig. 4, is replaced by holder Fig. 6, and the double edged blade is fixed in position by removing the clamping member s, inserting the blade in position and replacing the clamp s.

The sharpener is operated as follows: A blade is inserted in the holder and held in position by the screw adjusting spring clamp, and when the handle is turned tothe right the following action takes place. Owing to the pressure of the spring positioned round the main shaft the razor blade holder is turned to the right until its motion in that direction is arrested by one cutting edge of the razor blade resting against the abrasive cylinder; the degree of pressure being determined by the strength and friction of the spring pressing against the recessed end of the razor blade holder. As the shaft is rotated the cam fixed to the main shaft acts on the razor blade holder through the cam wheel in such a manner that the following r is the interactiontakes place. Onecutting edge of the blade is sharpened and 'at the same time the blade is moved to-and fro in an endwise direction. Upon reversing the direction of motion of the handle the cutting edge israised from the abrasive cylinder and the blade carried round untilits motion a is arrested by the other cuttingedgeof the razor blade-being arrested against the abrasive cylinder. Upon continuing the motionlof the handle, this secondiedge of thebladeis sharpened By alternately turning the handle torthe right and left the razor blade is correctlysharpened. I The an V gle of the cutting edge is determined by the degree of separationlof thetop and bottom bearings, The intermediate-gear wheel is usedfor the purpose of sharpening the blade in the direction, towards, the cutting edge. The bearing is. not, too closely meshed so that upon turning the r handlethe first action is the lifting of the cut- 1 ting edge from the cylinderbefore the cylinder begins to rotate, and thus prevents any tendency of the cutting edge of the bladebiting intothe cylinder. In addition, to the sharpening, of a single cutting edgeblade as described, the sharpener may also, befused tosharpen in turn both 7 the cutting edges of atwo cuttingedge-razor blade by the use of the double edge-razor blade holder. v 1;

- Having nowparticularlyfdescribed and ascertained the nature of my'said-invention, and in what manner the same is'to beperformed, I .de-

clare that what I claim is :j

1. 'In a machine for sharpening safety razor blades and the like, a shaft rotatable continuously in either direction, acam carried by the shaft, a' blade holder also carried by said shaft and rotatable andaxiallyreciprocable with respect thereto,

said blade holder'beingjcarried by a part along the lengthof said shaft other than'the part'thereof carrying said cam, means exerting a dragging effect between, the shaft and the bladeholder and tending to cause rotation of the blade holder with the shaft, a movable member having a blade sharpening, surface disposed to prevent complete rotation of the blade holder by engagement with a blade carried by the blade holder, said cam rotating with the shaft and having engagement with the blade holder to cause reciprocation of "upon the blade holder to urge it into contact with 1 said 'cam so that the blade holder will follow, the

cam contour and be reoiprocated along the shaft.

3.-In a machine for sharpening safety razor blades and the like, a shaft rotatable continuously in either directio-n,- a blade holder carried by said shaft and rotatable and axiallyreciprocable with respectthereto, a cam fixedly carried by said shaft wholly to one side of said blade hold- 'er and having its cam surface facing the blade holder, a coiled spring carried by the shaft wholly to thexopposite side of the blade holder from the cam, one end of said "spring bearing, upon the blade holder to force it into contact with said cam, theother end of said spring being sustained by said shaft whereby a dragging-effect is present between the blade holder and shaft tending -'to cause their uniform rotation, a movable memher having a blade sharpeningsurface disposed to prevent complete'rotation of the blade holder by'engagement with a blade carried by the blade holder, the relative, rotation between the cam and blade holder causing reciprocation of the blade holderalong the shaft as the blade holder follows thev cam' conformation under influence of said spring. r V e J JOHN GELL. 

